Dining On Navigator Of The Seas: Your Onboard Guide

Navigator the Seas® is home to a wide range of crave-worthy cruise restaurants. Here are some of the top spots with the best foods to enjoy on vacation.

By Amanda Mesa | Published on May 3, 2023

Delicious food is a key ingredient in the recipe for a spectacular vacation — and when you cruise with Royal Caribbean®, you can rest assured every meal is a cause for celebration. From upscale steakhouse dining and dazzling hibachi displays to tantalizing Tuscan flavors and south-of-the-border treats, every cruise restaurant in the Royal Caribbean fleet is sure to wow even the most discerning foodies. And when you sail onboard the Amplified Navigator of the Seas, you’re never more than strolling distance from delicious, ahh-inducing eats.

This fan-favorite cruise ship is home to top-rated fleetwide favorites like Izumi Japanese Cuisine, Chops Grille℠, Sorrento’s Pizza and Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver. Plus, newer, palate-pleasing concepts like Hooked Seafood℠, El Loco Fresh® and The Bamboo Room. Whether you’re craving a savory steak sizzled to perfection, a classic pizza pie loaded with all your favorite toppings or Hawaiian BBQ pulled pork sliders paired with tropical tiki cocktails, you’ll find the dining and drinking scene onboard Navigator of the Seas checks all the boxes for a crave-worthy travel getaway with the best cruise food options for vacation.

1. Windjammer Café

If you’re looking for convenience and lots of options, nothing beats the Windjammer Café. This Royal Caribbean staple is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between meals. It’s one of the best cruise dining options if you want to try all kinds of unique flavors throughout your vacation. The menu is expansive, encompassing rotating food stations that serve cuisine from every corner of the world. Think American comfort food, Asian street food, French delicacies, Caribbean classics and so much more. Dine on crispy buttermilk fried chicken and scrambled eggs Bhurji for breakfast. Refuel with fresh-pressed paninis and braised Ho Chi Minh pork during lunch. And at dinnertime, take a taste tour to Paris with duck a l’Orange, Rome with traditional chicken marsala or Goa with pork vindaloo. And guess what? Every bite is included in your cruise fare.

2. Main Dining Room

Every cruise ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet is home to a Main Dining Room — including Navigator of the Seas. Dinner at this huge, multi-level venue is a must on any cruise vacation. Guests are treated to exceptional service throughout a multi-course gourmet feast that will take you around the world with every delicious app, entree and dessert. There are so many options on the menu — including guest-loved mainstays and rotating surprises — that you could dine here every night for a week without repeating a single course. Favorites include savory duck terrine layered with apricot chutney on toasted sourdough bread, spiced eggplant and Kalamata olive tartare paired with red pepper hummus, Moroccan-spiced ahi tuna served over mint couscous and mojo-marinated bone-in pork loin accompanied by sweet potatoes, fresh veggies and a cumin-citrus reduction. On select days, the Main Dining Room also serves up brunch paired with refreshing mimosas. Just check your cruise compass for the schedule. Like the Windjammer Cafe, everything at this iconic cruise dining option is complimentary.

3. Jamie's Italian By Jamie Oliver

Helmed by one of Britain’s most famous chefs — Jamie Oliver — Jamie's Italian will transport you to the rolling hills and verdant vineyards of Tuscany. The menu here centers around authentic recipes crafted from fresh, seasonal ingredients. Dishes range from delicious homemade pastas and rich, rustic sauces to traditional Italian entrees with a creative, contemporary twist — all shareable and served family-style. Guests especially love this cruise restaurant’s creamy burrata, garnished with tender arugula, slow-roasted tomato and carta di musica bread. The house truffle tagliatelle is also wow-worthy. It comes served in rich truffle cream with a sprinkling of earthy nutmeg. And no seafood lover can resist Jamie’s iconic prawn linguine. It’s tossed with vine-ripe tomatoes, flavorful fennel, saffron, chili and garlicky prawns.

4. El Loco Fresh

You’ll find all your favorite poolside eats at El Loco Fresh, located on Deck 11 just steps from the Splashpad. Everything at this fast-casual, Mexican-inspired eatery goes big on bold flavor — from savory tacos filled with carnitas, beef and chicken to shareable loaded nachos and ultra-thick burritos topped with classic mole sauce and salsa verde. Desert is just as crazy good — think fluffy tres leches cakes, creamy Mexican flan and rich chocolate dulce de leche. Stop in before noon for breakfast, which consists of options like tasty breakfast burritos and breakfast quesadillas, scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns and bacon that’s still sizzling from the pan. What’s more, everything at El Loco Fresh is included in your cruise fare.

5. Bamboo Room

Throwback vibes and tiki-chic decor meet island-inspired flavors at this popular food and cocktail spot. The Bamboo Room dazzles with drinks expertly crafted using tropical fruits, exotic spices and all your favorite spirits. Like the double rum-soaked Banana Colada made with cinnamon syrup and creamy coconut milk. The Island Old Fashioned, a tropical reimagining of a time-honored classic that substitutes Caribbean rum for whiskey. Or cruise getaway favorites with creative new spins, like unique takes on Hemingway daiquiris and hand-shaken piña coladas. Pair every spirited sip with delicious shareable small plates, like sweet and smoky Hawaiian BBQ pulled pork slides, a cool and refreshing Asian noodle salad, creamy Tahitian coconut crab spread over crunchy bruschetta and more.

6. Hooked Seafood

Craving a taste of New England in the summertime? You’ll find all the best coastal hits from the windswept bays of the Northeast at Hooked Seafood — one of the ship’s top-rated specialty dining options. Crispy golden Maryland crab cakes? Check. Hearty New England-style clam chowder? Double check. Drunken mussels tossed in white-wine garlic sauce or rich marinara? You got it. That’s in addition to comfort food classics like just-shucked oysters, hits-the-spot Maine lobster rolls and fresh-caught fish grilled to perfection. Make sure you save room for dessert — the chocolate decadence brownie a la mode and the coconut cream pie are both out of this world.

7. Izumi Japanese Cuisine

The Amplified Navigator of the Seas is home to the hottest sushi spot at sea — and hands down the best specialty cruise dining options in the entire Royal Caribbean fleet — Izumi Japanese Cuisine. You’ll find a range of delicious Far East flavors here, including sushi rolls crafted by masters, hot and cold appetizers inspired by Japan’s iconic izakayas and crave-worthy entrees wok-grilled or seared to perfection. Favorites include crispy firecracker spring rolls stuffed with tender shrimp, crabmeat, sambal chili and cream cheese. Yaki udon made with thick, stir-fried noodles tossed with grilled chicken, shrimp, beef or tofu. And decadent desserts like rich green tea ice cream and crispy sesame balls served with strawberry and red bean sauce.

8. Chops Grille

The classic steakhouse experience gets a contemporary spin at this longstanding Royal Caribbean favorite — one of the most popular specialty cruise restaurants onboard the Amplified Navigator of the Seas. The master chefs here know the best way to flavor and cook every cut of meat — from porterhouse to prime rib and filet mignon. Start your meal with the charred beef carpaccio, served rare and sliced thin with truffle mustard dressing. Or opt for one of Chops’ impressive seafood towers, heaped with jumbo shrimp, clams, Jonah crab claws, Maine lobster and green-lipped mussels. Sides here also steal the show, and range from crispy truffled French fries and gruyere cheese tater tots to classic creamed spinach and steaming Yukon Gold mashed potatoes.

9. Chef’s Table

For the ultimate specialty dining experience, snag a seat at Chef’s Table. One of the most exclusive reservations onboard the Amplified Navigator of the Seas, it’s an intimate, culinary adventure across five courses selected by the cruise ship’s talented Chef de Cuisine. The head sommelier selects complementary vintages carefully curated to bring out the flavors in all the dishes, which can range from scallop carpaccio served with yuzu vinaigrette and smoked tomato soup sprinkled with garlic focaccia to roasted branzino paired with lemon confit. Dessert is a knockout blend of Valrhona chocolate mousse, salted caramel gelato and peanut-butter ganache.

If you’re planning a vacation getaway onboard the Amplified Navigator of the Seas, make sure you bring an appetite. These are just a handful of some of the incredible cruise restaurants that await onboard — each offering its own unique assortment of delicious dishes, drinks and atmosphere.